YOGYAKARTA In addition to exercise, consuming protein helps form muscles if in the right number. Proteins are found in every cell and tissue in the body and are very important for muscle growth because it helps repair and maintain muscle tissue.
The recommended diet intake is to prevent deficiency in active adults, at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. But to build muscles, it requires more than that amount.
Protein consists of amino acids that act as building blocks for cells and tissues in the body. There are 20 amino acids that form proteins, some of which can be synthesized by the body and others are not. The number is nine amino acids that the body cannot make, called essential amino acids. This must be obtained via diet.
When a person eats a protein, it is digested and broken down into amino acids, which are involved in many processes in the body, including tissue growth and repair, immune function, and energy production. Like other body tissues, muscle proteins continue to be broken down and rebuilt.
To build muscles, a person must consume more protein than is broken down. If a person does not consume enough protein, his body tends to break the muscles to give the body the amino acids needed to support the body's function and maintain more important tissues. Over time, this can lead to a decrease in muscle mass and strength.
When it comes to building muscle mass, the number of ideal daily proteins that a person must consume varies depending on several factors, including age, gender, level of activity, health, and other variables.
A 2020 meta-analytical study published in the journal Nutrition Review found that protein intake ranging from 0.5 to 3.5 g per kg of body weight can support an increase in body mass without fat. In particular, the researchers note that a gradual increase in protein intake, even just 0.1 grams per kilogram of body weight per day, can help maintain or increase muscle mass.
Another recent study, a meta-analytical in 2022 published in the journal Sport Medicine. This study concludes, higher protein intake is about 1.5 g per kg of body weight every day paired with resistance exercises needed for optimal effects on muscle strength.
The researchers note that the benefits of increasing protein intake in muscle strength and mass appear to be stable at 1.5 to 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day. While it is difficult to provide definite figures due to various study results, the optimal amount of protein for muscle formation appears to be between 1.2 and 1.6 g per kg of weight. This means men weighing 180 pounds (81.8 kg), for example, need to consume between 98 and 131 g of protein every day, combined with resistance exercises, to support muscle growth.
Animal protein sources that can be consumed include meat without fat, whether beef, pork, or sheep, poultry, eggs, fish and seafood, dairy products, whey protein powder. For plant-based protein, includes nuts, soybeans, vegetable protein powder.
Some nutritionists consider the source of animal protein to be better than the source of plant-based protein in terms of building muscle mass, reported by Medical News Today, Sunday, February 26. This is because animal protein contains all essential amino acids that the body needs in sufficient quantities and are also easily digested. To get all the amino acids required in the plant-based diet, individuals can pair ingredients such as rice and nuts, hummus and band bread, or peanut butter on whole-grain bread.
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